A true southern love
by falling-in-a7x
Summary: Raylan discovers that the love of his life is pregnant with his child.
1. Chapter 1

Lauren sat on the porch steps, sighing to herself. It had only been a few weeks since her and Raylan decided to take a break, and she was already depressed. A life without Raylan was killing her slowly. She had become so attached to him over time, and not having him there, broke her heart.

A familiar voice approaced, and Lauren's head sprung up. There he was, talking on his cell phone as he walked past the gate. Lauren sprung off the steps and ran over to the gate, unlocking it so she could get out. "Raylan!" She called after him, letting a smile creep on her face.

Raylan shook his head and kept walking. He wanted to talk to her, but the whole 'taking a break' issue got in his way. He wanted to give her space, no matter how much it hurt him inside. Pretending he never heard anything, he began his conersation again. A sad expression took over Lauren's face as she looked at the ground. He didn't want to talk to her, how was that possible? The two used to be closer than anybody around them. The loved they shared for each other, was stronger than everyone elses. And now it was getting thrown away? Lauren couldn't let that happen.

In an attempt to gain his attention, Lauren placed her hands on her lips, getting ready to say something she might regret. "Raylan, i'm pregnant!" She called after him once more. A shocked expression formed over Raylan's face, as he hung up the cell. "You're what?" He asked, almost whispering. There was no way Lauren could be pregnant, or he didn't think there was. "I'm pregnant with your child, Raylan." Lauren let out a sigh, as she watched the man turn to face her. His expression scared the hell out of her, she didn't know what he was thinking.

"Baby? You? Pregnant? How?" He mumbled to himself, walking over to Lauren. "You're really pregnant?" He asked, trying to grasp everything. The questioned earned a nod from Lauren. "Yes." She whispered, letting her smile return. Since the day she found out, she had been jumping for joy. Her and Raylan had always wanted a child, and now they were finally having one, nothing could be better.

"We're having a baby." He said, letting his hand rest on Lauren's stomach. A smile formed over his lips, as the idea finally sunk in. Him a father? He never thought it was going to happen. He never thought that he's be blessed enough to take care of a baby, but he was obviously wrong. "We're going to be parents, Lauren!" Raylan exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her. "We have to do this right." He said, kissing her forehead. "What?" Lauren asked, raising her brow. What could he possibly be talking about?

Letting go of Lauren, he looked down at her with an expression that could only resemble on thing; nervousness. "Lauren, since day one, i've loved you. You are truly the best thing to ever happen to me, and when I found out you married Matt, it crushed me. I was supposed to be the one you marry, not him. I was supposed to be the one you love, not some ivy league asshole." A sigh escaped his lips as he adjusted his hat. "We're having a child now, and I want things between us to change. Call me selfish, but I want us again. I want you to be with me, just like the old days. I want us to live a long happy life with our child, something i've wanted for years now. So, Lauren Allison Milligan, will you be with me?" Raylan asked, looking at the ground, preparing himself her her to say no.

Thoughts rampaged throughout Lauren's mind. Did she really want to go through her past again? Did she want to worry day in and day out about him getting hurt? No, she didn't. Lauren did want to be with him again, but she didn't know if she could do it, especially with a child on the way. There was too much at risk. After several minutes of silence passed, Lauren finally nodded her head. She was giving in, and hoping that she was making the right choice. She didn't want to regret it later. "Yes." She whispered, smiling softly.

That small three letter word, brought joy to Raylan. The two things he only ever wanted, were coming back to him. His life was beginning to look brighter. "Lauren, I love you, more than anything in the world." He said happily, as he kissed her lips softly. Pulling away slowly, Lauren smiled up at him. Her green eyes sparkled in the sun, as she looked deep into his eyes. "I love you, and our baby." The words brought a sense of happiness to her. She truly did have everything she could ever ask for. She had her country prince, and a baby on the way, nothing was going to get better.


	2. Chapter 2

A good solid six months had passed, and Lauren and Raylan were still together. They lived in a two-story house in Lawrence, and prepared for the arrival of their son. Alec Samuel Givens was going to arrive in a short time, and they still hadn't finished everything. The room needed to be painted, the baby clothes needed to be put away, and the crib needed to be put together. It seemed like nothing was getting done.

Lauren stood in the nursery, smiling as she held her hand over her bump. Anything and everything she could possibly ever want, was right there with her. She had the house, the baby on the way, and the perfect boyfriend. Nothing in the world could top the life she was getting to have. "Perfect." Lauren whispered, turning to walk out the room. She stopped dead in her tracks and smiled wide, looking to Raylan. He stood directly in front of her with his hands held behind his back. The corners of his mouth formed into a smirk, showing he was up to something.

"Hello, beautiful." He smiled and glanced down at her stomach. Time was flying by fast, it seemed like only yesterday she told him about the pregnancy. He didn't think that it would go so fast, he always assumed that things would drag on. He was obviously wrong. "You're perfect, babe." He nodded his head, and leaned in, kissing her softly.

A suspicious look came across Lauren's face as she looked up at him. Her green eyes sparkled from curiosity. "Raylan, what are you up to?" A grin formed over her features, whilst she watched him closely. From his expression, she could tell that something was up. She could see that he was planning something, but not knowing what that something was, made her curious. "I want to ask you something, Lauren. Something serious." He looked at her nervously, whilst pulling off his hat with one hand.

Raylan fell to one knee, kneeling in front of her. He looked up at her and smiled wide, seeing the shocked expression on her face. "What are you doing?" Lauren asked, biting down on her lip. Was he doing what she thought? Was he actually going to propose? Millions of questions ran her through her head, and not a single one was answered.

Raylan let a nervous sigh escape his lips, as he ran a hand through his hair. Nothing could be more nerve racking than what he was about to do. "Lauren, you know i've loved you since the first day I set eyes on you. For the longest time, I dreamed about starting a family with you. I wanted to make you my wife, have a few children, and grow old together. Well, now i'm getting my wish. You're pregnant with my child, and I couldn't be happier. Waking up to you every morning, makes me want to live another day. Seeing your beautiful smile and those breathtaking green eyes looking back at me, makes me the luckiest man on earth. If it wasn't for you, i'd probably be back in Harlan." He took a deep breath and pulled his other hand from behind his back, revealing a black jewelry box. "Lauren Allison Milligan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He asked, opening the box, showing the diamond engagement ring.

Lauren's thoughts ran rampid throughout her mind. Question after question circled through her head. Everything about that moment, was truly amazing. The speech he made, the ring; everything brought tears to her eyes. A smile creeped on Lauren's face, as she nodded her head. "Yes! Yes, i'll marry you!" She exclaimed, looking down at the man of her dreams.

Raylan took the ring out of the box, and slipped it onto her finger, smiling as he did. "I love you." He said, standing up. His arms wrapped around Lauren, and he pulled her close to him, never wanting to let go. The simple 'yes' made him happier than he had ever been. He had the baby, the house, the job, and most importantly, the girl. Nothing was complete unless Lauren was at his side.


	3. Chapter 3

Another three months flew by fast, almost as if they never happened. In the short time, Lauren had everything finished. The nursey was completed and awaited the arrival of Alec, the wedding plans was in the stages of getting completed, and the relationship between her and Raylan, was only getting stronger. Everything was going perfectly, something Lauren had always wanted to happen since the start.

Lauren sat on the couch, working on the wedding plans. Finding the perfect color for the dresses, was a lot harder than it sounded. She couldn't pick any color, it had to be the perfect color. Lauren flipped through a bridal magazine, and marked each dress she liked. A smile formed over her lips as she saw the dress she wanted, but her smile soon faded away. Pains began to strick from her stomach, and a look of worry came over her face. "It can't be time." She whispered, pulling herself up.

A gasp of pain escaped her lips as she placed her hand over her stomach. A strange sensation came over her, and she shook her head. "Dammit." She mumbled, running a hand through her hair. Her water had broken. Lauren stood at the end of the couch, propping herself up with one hand as she looked to the stairs. "Raylan!" She screamed, the pain obvious in her voice. Another contraction hit the second Raylan walked downstairs. "What is it?" He asked, concerned for his fiancée.

"Baby." Lauren whispered, motioning him over her. A look of shock formed on Raylan's face, as he made his way over to her. He let her take his hand, and nearly hit the floor from how hard she squeezed. "Goddammit, Lauren." He mumbled, pulling himself up. "We have to get you to the hospital." He said, slowly pulling her away from the couch. He held her hand and walked over to the door, opening it up. "You're going to be okay." He said reassuringly, as he helped her out the door. He knew she was going to be okay, but was he going to be okay? His fiance was giving birth to their son, he didn't know how to react to the situation.

After getting Lauren in the car, he climbed into the front seat and started the car. "We'll be there in no time." He stated, backing out the driveway and speeding off down the highway. In a quick ten minutes, the two arrived at the hospital. Raylan parked the car in front of the emergency entrance, and jumped out, running inside. "Wife, baby, labor, now." Raylan said frantically. A nurse quickly walked out from behind the desk and grabbed a wheelchair, walking out to Lauren. Lauren climbed out of the car, and eased her way into the wheelchair.

As the nurse took her inside and back to the room, she clutched onto Raylan's hand. The amount of pain she was going through, was unbearable. After she had the child, she was determined to never have sex again. She didn't want to be through that much pain again. As Lauren was brought into the room, she got out the wheelchair and changed into a hospital gown. "I hate you for this." Lauren mumbled, letting Raylan help her into the bed. A smirk formed over his lips as he looked down at her. "I bet you won't hate me after that baby is born." He stated, glancing to her stomach. "We'll see." She rolled her eyes.

Two hours and many contractions later, Lauren still had yet to give birth to her son. The doctors checked constantly, and still no sign of her being ready. "Can't they enduce labor?" She asked, glancing up at Raylan. A simpled head shake from him, caused her to whimper. All she wanted was the baby to be born. Was that really so much to ask?

The door swung open and the doctor walked in, nurses following behind him. He walked to the end of the bed and sat on the stool, checking Lauren. "You're ready." He stated, putting on the nessecary gloves. "See, the baby is getting here faster than you told." Raylan said, letting her once again take his hand. He knew that pain she was going to cause him, but he was ready for it.

"One the count of three, I need you to push." The doctor said, looking up to Lauren. Lauren sat up in the bed and nodded her head, as she bit down on her lip. The moment of truth was happening, she was having her son. "Okay. One, two, three, push." The doctor counted. Lauren gripped Raylan's hand tight and took a deep breath, as she started to push.

It seemed like forever, but as Lauren gave her final push, a scream sounded in the room. Lauren closed her eyes and laid back in the bed, listening to the sound the crys of her newborn baby. "You did it, Lauren." Raylan whispered, kissing her forehead. He brushed her hair out of her face and watched as the baby was handed off to a nurse. The nurse wrapped the baby in a blue blanket, then brought him to Lauren, placing him in her arms. "He's beautiful." Lauren said, looking at her son. Tears of happiness welled up in her eyes, as she took everything in.

Raylan looked down at his son, and tears welled up in his own eyes. The missing puzzle piece from his life was being held by the girl of his dreams. Everything he wanted, was falling into place. His life seemed to get better with each and every thing that happened. "Alec Samuel Givens, welcome to the world." Raylan whispered, glancing over to Lauren. The look of happiness on her face, was truly heart warming. He loved how his face was coming along. He loved how Lauren looked, whilst she held their son. He truly loved everything about that moment.


	4. Chapter 4

Finally it was the day of the wedding, and things seemed to be going perfectly. Everybody was there, everything was in place, nobody was backing out; the wedding would truly be the happiest day of Lauren and Raylan's life.

Lauren sat in the back room, pinning back her hair as a excited Alec ran in circles around her. "Mommy and daddy are getting married!" The five year said, starting to jump up and down. A smile appeared of the womans face as she looked at her son through the mirror. "Yes we are, sweetie." She said, placing the last clip in her blonde hair. "We're going to be a real family now." They were a family from the beginning, but now it was going to be official. She would be his wife, she would share his name, it was everything she wanted.

The door suddenly opened to Lauren's room and a woman entered inside. It was another blonde; Lauren's twin. "Lauren, they're ready." Carrie stated, picking up Alec and placing him on her hip. Lauren simply nodded and picked up the flowers off the table. 'Perfect.' She thought to herself as she took one final look in the mirror. "Let's go." Lauren said nervously, walking out the room with Carrie behind her.

The appropriate people walked down the aisle, then music began to play, sending nervous chills down Lauren's spine. She linked arms with her younger brother then stepped out the wooden doors, making her way down. The smile she had on her face seemed as if it was plastered on. The amount of happiness she was feeling was obvious by her facial expression, she truly was excited to get married. As Lauren approached the pastor, Adam gave her away, letting Raylan take her hand. He helped her up the steps then the two stood face-to-face, smiling as they held onto each others hand.

"Dear friends, we have come together to share in the joy of Raylan and Lauren's love for each other. We witness the celebration of that love in the warmth's of God's presence. A wedding is a celebration of spiritual love, and a covenant to love each other, in the presence of God. I invited you to be at peace, and to listen with your hearts and your souls, to this most joyous ceremony. May God fill your spirit with love and truth. Let us pray. O God, we gather to celebrate your gift of love, and its presence among us. We rejoice that these two people have chosen to commit themselves to a life of loving faithfulness to one another. We praise you, O God, for the ways you have touched our lives with a variety of loving relationships. We give thanks for your love and your friendship. Renew within us an affectionate spirit. Enrich our lives with the gracious gift of your love so that we may embrace others with that same love. May our participation in this celebration of love and commitment, give to us a new joy and responsiveness to the relationship we cherish. We pray these things, believing in the name and in the uniting power of Jesus. Amen." The pastor began. To Lauren, it seemed as if he talked for ages. All she wanted was to be his wife. She wanted to wear the ring, and kiss her husband, and be called Mrs. Givens.

Lauren's thoughts suddenly got broken as the word 'vows' echoed throughout her head. Now came the part that she was the most nervous for. "Lauren, you're first." The pastor said, nodding his head. "I love you, Raylan. I know that you are the only one for me, my one true love. I am happy and I am grateful that you came into my life, that where others have spent their entire lives looking for the one, I have found you. And now that I have found you, I shall never let you go. I promise you, Raylan, that I shall hold you and cherish you and give you my heart, that I shall support you and care for you. Faithfully, I shall always stand steadfast at your side with your hand in mine, regardless of what life would bring to us. I take you now as my wife/husband, and I shall remain so for the rest of my life." Lauren said, looking at Raylan with her bright green eyes. A smile formed over Raylan's lips as he looked down at Lauren. "I love you." He whispered softly.

"Raylan, your turn." The pastor said, looking to Raylan. Raylan let a nervous sigh escape his lips as his eyes locked onto Lauren's. "Lauren, you once told me that you are afraid of growing old. You told me then that to grow old means to be alone, and it frightens you. But I want you to grow old, Lauren. I want you to grow old with me. I want to watch the wrinkles form on your face and every strand of your hair turn white, because to me you would be the most beautiful, even when you are all wrinkled and gray. You do not have to fear being alone, my beloved Lauren, because I shall be with you. Grow old with me. I promise to love you faithfully, to care for you and to cherish you, to provide you with support and everything that you need, to respect and honor you. All my days left to me, I vow to spend them all loving you." Raylan said softly, never taking his eyes off of the woman in front of him. The tears began building up in Lauren's eyes, but she tried to fight them off. She didn't want to cry in front of everyone, even though it was perfectly okay.

The pastor handed their rings to them and nodded his head. Lauren placed Raylan's ring on his hand, then Raylan placed Lauren's ring on her hand. The two both smile a smile of pure happiness as they looked at the pator, ready for him to end the ceremony. "You may now kiss the bride." The pastor said, stepping back. Raylan leaned forward and kissed Lauren gently on the lips. It was their first official kiss as husband and wife.

The two turned to the crowd and joined hands. "I love you." Lauren whispered. Raylan smiled and helped her down the steps, then they walked down the aisle, going out the door. "I love you too, Lauren." Raylan said, letting her get into the car. He got in beside her and the driver drove off, leaving the crowd behind.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a week since Lauren and Raylan returned from their honeymoon, and everything was still going perfectly. They were still in love, they were happy together, and they were still raising the perfect family. It seemed as if nothing could go wrong, but sadly, that wasn't true. Recently Boyd Crowder moved back into town, and he had it out for Lauren. The story was complicated, but it was going to be something she didn't want to explain to Raylan. He didn't know her past, but he was about to.

Lauren sat on the couch, running a hand through her hair. Footsteps sounded from the stairs, and she sighed, closing her eyes. Raylan had just put Alec down for his nap, and now, he had come down to spend time with his wife. Little did he know, he had a big and upsetting surprise waiting for him. "Babe." Raylan said, walking over and sitting on the couch beside her. As he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his eyebrow shot up at in curiosity at her expression. "What's wrong?" He asked, moving the hair out of her eyes.

A sigh escaped Lauren's lips and she shifted around on the couch, moving to face Raylan. "Boyd Crowder is back in town." She whispered, running a hand through her hair. Raylan let his shoulders shrug and he watched her expression, seeing it change. "Babe, this is Harlan, Boyd lives here." He said nodding his head. Those words brought knots to Laurens stomach and she glanced around the room, trying her best to avoid eye contact. "I know, babe." She stated, nodding her head in agreement. She did know, but she wished that he was somewhere else. "Then why did you bring it up?" Raylan questioned, raising his brow. There was obviously a reason, and he wanted to know. "Well.." She started off, letting the flashback take over her mind.

_-flashback- _

_It was a normal summer day; the sun was shining, people were swimming, children were playing, families were holding picniks, everyone was happy. But, while people were having fun, Lauren still hadn't woken up. The previous night, she had decided to go out to the local bar, and create her own fun. It was fun, it was a night that she didn't regret. _

_That night Lauren had been taken home by a very special man; Boyd Crowder. He had bought her a few drinks, danced with her, and in the end, he slept with her. It was intended to be nothing more than a one night stand, then he'd leave in the morning, and never come back. But, it didn't work out that way._

_Boyd sat on the edge of the queen size bed, holding a cigarette between his fingers. His eyes were focused on the blonde in the bed, and for some reason, he thought he could get used to her company. Lauren was gorgeous, sexy, funny, smart, and sweet; she was everything he looked for in a woman. Of course there might be a little tension when she woke up, but he'd deal with that. He'd deal with everything she threw at him, and there was a simple reason for it; he wanted to get to know her better. _

_As Boyd raised the cigarette to his lips, Lauren's arm hit him in the back, making him smile. Lauren wiggled around the bed, stretching as she looked around the room. Once her eyes landed on Boyd, her expression changed, showing that she was confused. She remembered him, but she didn't understand why he was there. She assumed that he would leave when the morning came, but she was obviously wrong, which she liked. "Hi." Lauren whispered, letting a smile creep over her lips. "Hey." Boyd replied, taking a drag off the cigarette. "How you feeling?" He asked, placing the cigarette in the ashtray. _

_Lauren sat up in the bed and shrugged her shoulders, watching as Boyd stood up. "Well, my head hurts, and seeing as how i'm not wearing clothes.." She stopped, raising the blanket to look under the sheets. "..i'm good." A smirk crossed her lips, and she grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards the bed. "Why are you still here?" She asked, raising her brow. Boyd sighed and climbed into the bed, positioning himself beside her. "Honestly, I was going to leave. I was going to leave without a trace and hope like hell that you never found me again. But, something stopped me. This may sound weird, but i'm strangely attracted to you. I mean, it isn't just a sex thing; I want to get to know you better." Boyd said, biting down on his lip. He hoped that she wouldn't find him creepy, but she probably would; most people did. _

_A smile crossed over Lauren's lips and she stood off the bed, grabbing her panties. As she slipped them on, she looked over at Boyd. "Y'know, you can get to know me all you want." She stated, nodding her head. Boyd let a smile form over his lips and he watched her, wondering why she was getting dressed. "Oh, good to know. But, why are you getting dressed?" He asked, crossing his arms over his shoulders. _

_Lauren finshed pulling on her clothes, then she walked over to the opposite side of the bed. "Because, you're going to take me out to breakfast. It can be our first date." She said, kissing him softly on the lips. She had a feeling that she was going to like the whole "dating" thing. _

_-end-_

As Lauren ended her story and her flashback, a look of worry crossed over her face. "Raylan?" She whispered, biting her lip as she looked at him. He sat perfectly still, staring at the wall as the anger built up inside him. His wife had sleep with Boyd fucking Crowder, he could wrap his mind around it. And actually, he wished he could stop it. "Yes, Lauren?" He asked, clearing his throat.

Lauren shook her head and took his hand in hers. "Babe, I want you to know that he meant nothing to me. He was a bad mistake, and unfortunately, he's back. Boyd is back for me, but I won't let him get me. I'm yours. I always have been and I always will be. That, I promise." She nodded her head and leaned into him, kissing him softly on the lips. Having him know what she said, was truly important to her. She didn't want him to worry about Boyd possibly stealing her away, because that wasn't going to happen. She was married to him, and it was going to stay like that until the day she died, or until he got tired of her.

Raylan nodded his head and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms tight around her. "Lauren, either way, he's not getting you. In case you haven't noticed, i'm a greedy bastard, meaning I don't like to share." He said, smirking down at her. "But, as far as Boyd Crowder goes, i'll handle him. Personally." He stated, rubbing his hand up and down her arms. When he said he would personaly handle Boyd, he meant it. He wasn't going to allow Boyd to take his wife, and he certainly wasn't going to allow him to try anything. He was going to stop it before it even happened.


End file.
